Vanessa Hudgens, Joshua Henry talk tick, tick...BOOM!

Vanessa Hudgens and Joshua Henry spoke with Solzy at the Movies earlier this week about the new Netflix film, tick, tick…BOOM!

Netflix starts streaming the Lin-Manuel Miranda-directed film on November 19, 2021.

How familiar were you with tick, tick…BOOM! when you got the script?

Joshua Henry: Not too familiar. I had known that it was another Jonathan Larson piece before his big one, Rent. I was happy to find out as we got into the filming of this that it was the story of his life and his journey through trying to create more art in New York City, which was a journey that was up and down but very much downward before it got up again. And so in tick, tick…BOOM!, I’m excited for people to see the story of the stepping stones that lead towards the big success that they might not know about.

Vanessa Hudgens: When I did Rent the first time, probably about 11 years ago, it was my first time kind of being introduced to Jonathan Larson and I just fell in love and was just wanting to find out everything that I could about this man. So I was familiar but I didn’t have the same love for it then as I do now.

Vanessa, you’re no stranger to musicals with being in High School Musical and Bandslam? How was it working on this film and being directed by the great Lin-Manuel Miranda?

Vanessa Hudgens: It was so special. I mean, I love doing musicals. It’s my favorite thing ever. Some of my most beautiful and awakening, musical theater experiences have been whilst doing Rent. Jonathan’s work has a certain spirit to it that is unique unto itself and it’s so beautiful and it’s so magical. You take that and then you take Lin-Manuel Miranda, who is this genius of our generation, and put those two together and it’s just—it’s magic. The experience was so beautiful and Lin is just so talented and limitless in his capabilities but also the most humble and grounded human being. It’s just a—it’s a beautiful mixture of everything that you could ever want when it comes to musical theater.

Joshua, this is your third project with Lin-Manuel Miranda if I recall?

Joshua Henry: Yeah, I think it’s four. It’s been In the Heights, Hamilton, Bring It On, and now tick, tick…BOOM! Seeing him in a new arena like this is—I expected greatness. I’m not gonna lie to you.

Vanessa Hudgens: (Laughs)

Joshua Henry: I was like (inaudible) land, okay? He puts his heart and soul into everything that he does and he’s just not—he comes to have fun. Every day onset was fun and it felt like you were in a fun house with the little balls in that play thing for kids. And you’re like, let’s try another take. Let’s try it this way. Red, green, and blue. It just felt like that the entire time. So what a great environment.

Vanessa Hudgens: So true.

How special was how special was it to work on a film while Broadway was shut down last year?

Vanessa Hudgens: It was very special. I mean, I remember the day that we were in the New York theater space and we had extras there. You could just kind of feel—it was kind of tense energy because everyone’s sitting kind of close and we’ve undergone all the COVID protocols, like everyone’s tested and we’re safe. But like still, it’s alarming being around people when you haven’t been. And then Lin comes and walks onto the stage and says out to the audience, Ladies and gentlemen, the only operating theatre in New York City. And me and Josh looked at each other and we were just like, that is so crazy that none of our friends, none of our community gets to do the thing that we all love but we do. So we knew that it was our responsibility to our community, but also how beautiful—let’s do it with the joy of all of our artist communities in our hearts and bring that to the table.

Thank you so much. Congrats again on the film. I loved it.

Vanessa Hudgens: Thank you.

Joshua Henry: Take care.